>> Friday, July 22, 2005

Absolutely, Positively was one of the first books I ever bought by Jayne Ann Krentz. According to my signature and date on the first page (yep, I used to sign all my books when I read them, I've no idea why. I think my mom used to do it and I copied her), I read it as early as 1993, when I was 15.

Molly Abberwick, trustee of her late father's foundation, is furious with her new consultant, scientist-philosopher Dr. Harry Stratton Trevelyan. Harry is brilliant, sexy, and absolutely impossible -- and his outrageous suggestion of a scientifically inspired affair with her is positively the last straw....Besides, Molly's got a much more serious problem; she's become the target of a stalker whose sinister pranks are swiftly escalating into violence. Only Harry, of all people, seems to comprehend the true nature of the threats against his alluring boss. As a dangerous predator closes in on Molly, the enigmatic Dr. Harry seizes the day to reveal himself in a totally unexpected light....

Absolutely, Positively is a lovely comfort read for me. A B+.

I've read it so often, that I remember even the smallest details of it. I simply skip the parts I'm not interested in (namely, the ones dealing with the suspense subplot, never JAK's best), and I can actually remember parts of the dialogue ("hours of boredom broken by moments of stark terror", for instance, is one of my favourite lines).

And still, reading this still manages to engage my emotions, even if there's no much suspense as to what will happen. I still get a thrill when Harry goes out of control and is so sure he's lost Molly (see the "moments of stark terror" comment mentioned above). I still can feel his elation when he realizes Molly won't run from that part of him, that she actually loves it. Harry's my favourite type of JAK hero, the one she does so well, the guy who truly does need the heroine in his life and simply couldn't bear to lose her.

Another high point in this book is the family aspect. This is the perfect example of how JAK characters aren't usually those loners, with no family or friends, who populate so many other romance novels. Their relationships with their respective families are a big part of their lives, and they're an interesting part of the book, especially Harry's dueling paternal and maternal families. And Molly's way of dealing with them was just priceless!